PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles’ attempt at a rally came up just shy in a 9-8 loss to the Corvallis Knights on Tuesday at Civic Field.
The Lefties (8-8) plated three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning against the two-time defending West Coast League champions, scoring on an RBI double by pinch hitter Braden De Benedictis, a double steal and an RBI single by Kyle Schimpf, but left the tying run at second base when Dalton Harum struck out swinging.
Port Angeles trailed 7-1 midway through the fourth inning before battling back into the contest.
A three-run home run by Issac Wersland in the bottom of the fourth brought home Schimp and Harum who had reached via base hits.
Wersland, a Spokane Falls Community College product, is hitting 5 for 17 (.294) with three home runs and six RBIs in just seven games for the Lefties.
Schimpf opened the bottom of the sixth with his West Coast League-leading fifth home run, an opposite-field shot to left field by the lefty slugger.
Schimpf was 3 for 4 on the night with two runs and two RBIs to bring his batting average above
Corvallis answered with two pivotal runs in the top of the seventh when Zach Weller connected on a two-run single for a 9-5 Knights lead.
Port Angeles faced Corvallis late Wednesday and will host the Knights in the finale of the three-game series tonight on “Jurassic World Night” at Civic Field at 6:05 p.m.
Corvallis 9, Port Angeles 8
Knights 0 0 5 2 0 0 2 0 0 — 9 10 2
Lefties 0 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 3 — 8 10 2
WP: Shoup LP: Oldenberg SV: Haskell
Pitching
Knights — Shoup 5 IP, 4R, 4H, 2BB, 6K; Crow 3.1 IP, 4R, 5H, 2BB, 3K; Haskell 0.2 IP, H, K.
Lefties — Oldenberg 3 IP, 6R, 5H, 4BB, 5K; Dunaway 3.1 IP, 3R, 3H, 2BB, 5K; Dolezal 2 IP, 4K; Ruwe 0.2 IP.
Hitting
Knights — Hawken 1-4, 2R, HR, BB, 2RBI; Anderson 2-5, 2R, 4RBI; Beck 2-5, R, 2B; Cabrera 1-3, 2R, 2BB.
Lefties — Schimpf 3-4, 2R, HR, 2RBI; Wersland 1-4, R, HR, 3RBI; VanDebrake 1-1, R; Tom 1-3, RBI; Lydon 1-1, R.; De Benedictis 1-1, R, 2B, RBI.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
